HAVING ridden horses for more than 50 years, I would like to address the issues raised by Steve Plant (Oxford Mail, January 21) about these animals being in public places.

To be able to ride a horse for a long hack, without using any roads, would be total heaven for all horse owners.

Sadly, in west Oxfordshire there are very few bridleways and, even where they exist, riders have to use public roads from where horses are stabled to use them.

Over the past 40 years there has been a large increase in the number of people enjoying the wonderfully challenging sport of riding, but the public facilities available to them is virtually the same as it was 100 years ago.

While councils provide facilities for other sports – such as football grounds, swimming pools and tennis courts – nothing has been done to provide more bridleways or designated areas for riders to use.

The highways department is however doing an excellent job maintaining what few bridleways we do have. Privately some landowners are now providing off-road riding tracks on their farms in an effort to offer riders the chance to ride away from the roads.

There are charges for this and, as yet, only two such schemes exist in west Oxfordshire.

The majority of riders do show courtesy to other road users and thank motorists who slow down when passing their horses. But, as in any sport, the odd person behaves badly and that is totally unacceptable.

With regard to the issue of horse droppings causing offence to the public, it is illegal for a horse to be ridden or led on a footpath, so pushchairs, children and walkers should not come into contact with residue.

So Mr Plant, it is not from choice that riders use roads to exercise their horse but, sadly, out of necessity.

DINAH HARRIS, Poffley End, Hailey, nr Witney